Introduction
by Y0URIMAGINARYFRIEND
Summary: Sakura is signing up to ANBU. Introspection, little action. Drabble, theme from the 100 Themes Challenge


Right, there's going to a long author's note, but I didn't want to make people scroll to find the story, so I'm putting it at the end. All you need to know now, is that this is the start of the 100 Themes Challenge:

1) Introduction

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The doors were tall, very solid, and terrifying in their symbolism. ANBU headquaters. And she was the first woman to join in nearly eight years. Her shishou said she could do it though, and she was going to prove the world that Tsunade hadn't misjudged. She would show the world how strong she could be, and help her village as much as any man.

Her hand didn't shake as she knocked on the door, and the fact she at least _appeared_ calm to outsiders helped her to relax. Actually, she should be relaxed, and she knew it – she was strong enough physically, and she had worked on all her weak points until they were hardly there. No, the thing that worried her was the emotional side of it, the fear that one day she would have to take apart a friend's body, removing all traces of who they once were. The fear that she would be looked down on, just for her girlish looks. The fear that she would get a mission as awful as Itachi Uchiha's had been, and not be able to carry it through like he had.

She forced all the thoughts from her mind as the door opened, a swirled white mask blankly confronting her. For a moment, nothing happened. Then with a barely perceptible movement, the mask tilted, gesturing minutely into the darkness. Carefully, she stepped over the threshold, and followed nondescript brown hair as she was lead into the building, eyes questing to add detail in the darkness.

It wasn't too dark, once her eyes adjusted, and it didn't look terribly scary. In fact, it looked almost exactly like the jounin headquarters, except all the faces were blank white porcelain with black or blue paint. She held back a blush as she realized they were probably all watching her; the only person in the building whose face could be seen. After what seemed like a very long walk they reached the reception desk, where another of those white faces, haloed this time by golden spikes, looked up at her.

"Haruno Sakura, due for induction. Correct?" Asked a male vice, so low it was almost a whisper. She nodded stiffly, knowing her voice would sound squeaky and unsure with all the tension in her. She was silently handed a piece of paper to sign, confirming by blood her loyalty and secrecy. This was the turning point, and it took a moment before she was sure her hand wouldn't shake as she signed her name and thumb-print, putting just a touch of her chakra into the blood. Done.

She handed it over with more confidence, glad the most important part was over. Now all that was left was the marking process, and getting her equipment. Black-gloved hands ran over the surface, picked up on the chakra, and formed seals faster than she could see. There was a burning sensation in her shoulder for a moment, along with a bust of strangely familiar chakra, and she knew she was now marked for ever with the swirling tattoo. Across the desk, she heard a slight chuckle. Laughing at her? She looked toward her original companion, but he'd disappeared a some point, so she turned back to the desk.

Blue eyes blinked back at her innocently, as her blond teammate handed her the last mark of her new ANBU status – a white mask with animal markings that had previously been on his own face. She raised an eyebrow at his uncovered visage, but he misread her and shrugged.

"I find it funny that your codename is Panther. Welcome to ANBU!"

She resisted the urge to slosh him round the head like the old days, but settled for grinning. It's not much, but it's a better introduction than she'd expected, and nobody has challenged her status...yet. Pulling the cold mask over her face, she shivered. It was the start of something new, a change from the old Sakura, a change from the old team. But she's not alone, and she can do it. She _knows_ she's strong enough to beat anybody who questions her down to nothing, and she's not afraid to prove it.

* * *

If anybody doesn't get what Naruto finds funny, just think about Sakura's hair colour.

Anyway, the important stuff.

I'm taking the 100 Themes Challenge as a series of fanfiction oneshots (well mostly, some may be longer), and this story was the start. I'm not going to go through them in order from now on, but this seemed like the perfect theme for the introductory speech from me.

I've decided to post each theme separately, because they're going to vary a _lot_ in length, style and rating, and I want to make it easy for readers to find what they're interested in. Plus a few might become longer than oneshots.

I hope you'll read and enjoy a few of them (or more than a few!), and I'd really appreciate feedback, positive or negative, because these are going to be quite experimental. And if I get enough feedback on any theme, I might decide to make it longer for all you lovely readers. Also, I might do requests for particular pairings, and I've got a poll on my profile for a range of pairings. Feel free to give suggestions and ideas, they'll all be welcomed.

Thanks for bothering to read all that! YIF


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